Close to 200 athletes will descend on Tugun Beach (Gold Coast) this weekend in a bid to secure the 42 spots on offer as part of the Shaw and Partners Iron Series Trial, presented by Race One Surf Craft.
This year, more trialists will have the opportunity to break into the field, with 21 ironmen and 21 ironwomen set to join the 12 male and 12 female pre-qualified competitors – as well as two Next Gen Series winners – increasing the overall field to 68 athletes, up from 56 last summer.
Another blockbuster summer of the Shaw and Partners Iron Series will be live across Channel 10, beginning with the legendary Shaw and Partners Coolangatta Gold 25.6 in October before moving to Thirroul (November 14-15), Newcastle (January 9-10) and the finals weekend at Surfers Paradise (February 6-7).
The Ironwoman will see a tough field lining up, with some of the biggest names to battle it out with the rising stars.
Triple Iron Series champion Lana Rogers (Northcliffe), current Coolangatta Gold Gold Champion Electra Outram (Noosa Heads) as well as stalwarts Hannah Scully (Northcliffe) and Lily Finati (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park). They’ll have a host of rising stars bidding for a spot, including Kaitlin Rees (Swansea Belmont) and Pipi Te Pania (Newport) who are both eyeing off a Series debut, while juggling their HSC studies.
For Rogers, who celebrated her 30th birthday during the off season, she is getting ready for a new challenge this season.
“This is my first time doing the [Iron Series] Trial. I’ve never done it before… so it’s a new challenge.
“I’m treating this season as my ‘homecoming’. I’m almost starting from scratch. I’ve done a lot of work during the offseason, working with a sports psychologist to help me get my mental fitness right. It’s about taking on board different strategies that can help you be yourself.
“Trialling for me keeps things exciting. I remember being at the Trial a few years back as a handler and speaking with [former Ironman] Wes Berg and asking him about when you know is the right time to retire, and he said to me ‘as long as you’re still having fun, you keep going.’ Well I’m still having fun… I’m excited for the season,” she said.
In the Ironman, there are siblings who will be looking to join the ranks alongside their brothers. Mermaid’s Noah Magg’s will look to join his brother, former Series champion Conner, Riley Brennan (Currumbin) eyes off his first Series alongside brother Callum and Mitch Morris (Northcliffe) who will look to reclaim his position in the Series with brother Zach. The family rivalry will be on display during the trial, brothers Kai and Ryley Harland (Northcliffe) and Nicholas and Ryan Green (North Burleigh) all trialling for a spot.
The up and coming stars will come up against experienced hands including Max Beatie (Surfers Paradise), Auden Parish (Northcliffe), TJ Hendy (Surfers Paradise) and Noah Steiner (Wanda) among those headlining the trial.
Unlike Lana Rogers, Noah Steiner has plenty of experience when it comes to the Shaw and Partners Iron Series Trial, he’ll prepare to line up in his seventh this weekend.
“The biggest focus during the winter months for me was focusing on my experience. This will be my seventh Trials and for me it’s about using that experience and tailoring my training to make the most of that experience,” he said.
As a member of Sydney’s Wanda Club, Steiner said the winter training can be challenging given the cold and conditions. But the 23-year-old said the young squad they have at Wanda keeps him motivated.
“The one word I would use to describe our Wanda squad: competitive. There are a lot of younger guys who are hungry for it and the depth of our squad means we can get a lot of racing in which just allows us to get the best out of each other. I think you’ll see a lot of Wanda caps up front,” he said.
In the Ironman, the pre-qualified lineup changes saw Matt Bevilacqua come in to replace Ali Day, and Cory Taylor come in for Finn Askew.
The road to the 2026/27 Shaw and Partners Iron Series begins at Tugun Beach on September 19-20 with the Shaw and Partners Iron Series Trial, presented by Race One Surf Craft, where athletes from across the country will do battle to earn their position on the start line in October.
This year, more trialists will have the opportunity to break into the field, with 21 ironmen and 21 ironwomen set to join the twelve male and twelve female pre-qualified competitors – as well as two Next Gen Series winners – increasing the overall field to 68 athletes, up from 56 last summer.
More athletes will mean more competition, and an increased field size will not only make each race more testing but mean that valuable Series points are at a premium each round.
In an additional fresh change this year, the top 24 athletes following the Coolangatta Gold 25.6 will automatically qualify for Round 2 in Thirroul, while the ten bottom placed athletes will be forced to battle through a newly introduced Repechage Round on the Friday prior to the weekend, with four places in the field – and an opportunity to keep their Series dream alive – up for grabs.
2026/27 Shaw and Partners Iron Series
Shaw and Partners Iron Series Trial, presented by Race One Surf Craft
Tugun Beach, 19-20 September
Round 1: Coolangatta, QLD
Shaw and Partners Coolangatta Gold 25.6
October 17, 2026
Rounds 2 & 3: Thirroul, NSW
Enduro: November 14, 2026
Super Sprint: November 15, 2026
Round 4 & 5: Newcastle, NSW
The Specialist: January 9, 2027
Eliminator: January 10, 2027
Round 6 & 7: Surfers Paradise, QLD
Super Sprint: February 6, 2027
Grand Eliminator: February 7, 2027